


How to Train Your Monster

by DeerlyQueery



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Monster Hunter (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Set during Race to the Edge, Tags May Change, may be ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:46:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23308579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeerlyQueery/pseuds/DeerlyQueery
Summary: When new "dragons" begin popping up among the islands the Dragon Riders survey, causing mass destruction with their aggressive tendencies and unmatched power, Hiccup and his friends must band together to find out what's causing these creatures to show up and stop their enemies from harnessing their destructive abilities. With the help of a new ally rehearsed in the ways of these "dragons", the Riders must work in ways they never have before in order to save their home.NOTE: I have a tendency to get busy in life and will try my best to keep updating this story because I really like this crossover premise but updates may be random.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	1. New Faces

It started out as an ordinary day for Hiccup. The wind whipped past his face as he and Toothless flew above the ocean, the sun hanging high in the clear blue sky. The pair were on their way to an island they'd spotted the day before to scope it out and add it to his ever-expanding map. He'd left Astrid in charge of watching over the Edge and fortifying their defenses, wary of an attack from the Grimborn brothers as their ships had begun sailing closer to the Edge every day. He wouldn't be surprised if the brothers were searching for the Riders' base to find and destroy it. Today, however, Hiccup saw nothing as he flew over the deep blue waters below, waves splashing white foam into the air. No ships hid among the waters. The silence was almost unsettling, save the never-ending crashing of the waves.

Toothless gave an unsettled rumble and Hiccup reached forward, rubbing the dragon's head comfortingly. "I know, bud. Something seems a bit... Off today. We'll just have to keep our eyes peeled." He reassured, noticing the island they were heading for up ahead. Stony spires breached the rough waters around the small landmass, the earth barren save a bit of scorched shrubbery burned to a crisp. The duo approached slowly, surveying the damages of what seemed to be a fire. "What do you think happened?" Hiccup asked the dragon who responded with a nervous growl. The island hadn't been set ablaze when they had seen it last night so whatever had happened would likely be close. "Be ready for anything, bud..." He cautioned as they descended, flying low over the smoldering landscape.

Among the burned plants Hiccup could spot the occasional dragon who had been unlucky enough to be caught in the blaze, scales burned to a black charcoal. Hiccup shook his head, heart going out to the lives lost. "Whatever caused this must have some serious fire to burn through scales like that." His attention was brought back to what was ahead as Toothless growled, flying higher into the sky. Reaching the edge of the island Hiccup noticed a trail of black rock, still hot with the heat of whatever had happened. As Hiccup looked closer, however, he recognized the stone to be lava. "What the...? How did lava end up here? There's no volcano in sight!" He exclaimed. Toothless looked around cautiously. He could feel something was wrong with this place. Like something was lurking in the area.

When the dragon looked down again he gave a roar of surprise and darted higher into the air as the water below exploded upwards and with a roar a gigantic beast reared from the sea on its hind legs. From its back sat what seemed to be a volcano, spewing hot magma in a continuous flow from select places. "What is THAT?!" Hiccup exclaimed as the strange dragon watched the flying duo with a wary gaze. After a moment it sank back down onto four legs, the volcano across its back covering its head like a turtle shell as it continued its journey swimming through the ocean.

"I've never seen anything like it! Toothless, we found a whole new dragon! And it's massive!" Hiccup exclaimed excitedly, leading Toothless in closer to get a better look, though the dragon was nervous getting so close to what seemed to be an active volcano. As the duo got closer though, and the massive beast began to sink back into the ocean, Hiccup noticed a moving figure on the dragon's shell. "Toothless! Let's get a closer look!" He said and the dragon gave an affirmative trill, swooping in closer to the moving shape. As they got within range Hiccup gasped, recognizing the shape as human. "Someone's on the dragon-! We need to help them!" He exclaimed. "Toothless, let's go!" With a nod the dragon folded in his wings and darted in, as the person shakily stood reaching out his paws and grabbing them by the arms, lifting back into the air as the massive dragon sank below the waves.

The man let out a yell of surprise and struggled, though it was obvious that surviving being on that mountain of a dragon had taken a toll on him, especially since he'd been underwater. "Calm down! You're safe now!" Hiccup reassured, leaning over Toothless to look down at their strange new visitor. The man gave a tired and confused look to the person who rode a dragon before exhaustion took hold and he blacked out. "Oh no- Toothless, we've got to land! Let's go!"

Toothless flew back over to the burned island and carefully set down the man on the shore where the fires hadn't done much damage with no foliage to burn. Hiccup quickly hopped off as they landed and went over to the waterlogged stranger, crouching beside him. The Rider noticed that, trapped to his back, was a huge sword made with what seemed to be the jawbone of a dragon. He shuddered, realizing that the man they'd saved must be a dragon hunter of some sort. "Be ready for anything, bud." He warned his friend, carefully taking off the man's armor. It was made of what seemed to be scales leather and metal but nothing like any hunters he'd seen. He must not work for Viggo or Dagur. With the armor out of the way the Rider was free to check the man for wounds, relieved to find only minor burns and bruises that would heal within a few days. 

"Well, Toothless... What should we do with him? We can't just leave him here but if he really is a dragon hunter we can't just bring him back to the Edge!" Hiccup contemplated, sitting back and brushing a hand through his hair. His dragon approached and sniffed at the passed out hunter, giving a low chuff to Hiccup and spreading his wings. His rider stood and crossed his arms. "Yeah, I guess you're right... It's not like he'll be able to figure out where he is if he is an enemy, and he'd die out here so it's not like we have a choice." He said and with some help from Toothless lifted the man onto the back of the dragon, along with the armor and weapon he came with. Climbing up the duo took off back towards the Edge, with some big news to share with the rest of the Riders. A new dragon and a possible new group of enemies.


	2. Invaded World

"Guys, I'm telling you! The dragon was huge! A turtle the size of a mountain, spewing lava out of its shell like a volcano!" A voice insisted, sounding exasperated, like he'd been saying this many times. Another voice spoke up.

"Hiccup, we're not saying you didn't see this dragon. It just sounds so... Weird. Why would a dragon that big only show up now? Where was it hiding?" The voice explained, the sound of footsteps hitting wood echoing through the air as one of the people started pacing.

"I've got no idea. It came from the water so it could have just been down there a while but that doesn't explain how our new friend here could have ended up on its back." The listener stiffened as he felt a presence over his prone form and the sound of sniffing near his head, the rank smell of fish assaulting his senses. He blinked open his eyes and was met with the large blue maw and sharp teeth of a monster in his face. Survival instinct kicking in, the hunter pulled out his dagger that had been hidden in his belt and flipped to his feet, charging the monster that gave a squawk of fear and kicked out at the hunter. The kick knocked the man on his back with a thud and a heavy weight landed on his chest as another of the monsters, a bulky brown lump of a beast that kept the hand with his dagger pinned to the ground. The thud of booths running over caught the hunter's attention and he quickly looked up to see three people standing over him, the group looking a mix of surprised and annoyed.

One of them, a lithe man with brown hair, spoke up first. "Well, looks like you're doing alright after almost drowning." He said in a sarcastic voice and the hunter glared with annoyance. He didn't appreciate the tone.

"Get your beast off of me. I don't feel like surviving on the back of an Elder Dragon only to die by one of your 'tamed' monsters." The hunter demanded, trying to push the fat dragon off of him with his free hand.

The blonde woman in the middle laughed and shook her head. "Yeah right we're letting you up, you'll just attack us again! And they aren't beasts or monsters, they're our friends. Can't say I didn't warn you, Hiccup." She said jokingly to the brunette who rolled his eyes, arms crossed.

"Yeah, yeah. I didn't think he'd be up and about right after waking up!" The man, Hiccup, defended. The other man, a pudgy guy with blonde hair coming out of a horned helmet, finally spoke up.

"Look, we aren't here to hurt you, alright? Neither are our dragons. Hiccup wouldn't have saved you and brought you here if he was just going to hurt you after." He reassured the hunter, giving a kind smile. After a few moments the hunter sighed and nodded.

"Okay, okay. I won't attack your pets as long as they don't try to attack me." He said and Hiccup grinned.

"Great! Fishlegs?" He looked to the bigger man who nodded and pat the dragon holding down the hunter on the head.

"Good work, Meatlug! You can get off now." He said and the dragon climbed off the man, finally letting him sit up and look around. He was surprised to see that they were in a wide open room, many cages across the sides of the room and a big opening to one end. It stank of fish and beast. He assumed this was where they stabled the monsters. Finally he looked to the three people standing before him, getting to his feet and brushing off his clothes.

"So, now that you're not going crazy, care to explain why you were on the back of that dragon? Who are you and where did you come from?" Hiccup asked curiously and the hunter crossed his arms. Long dark red hair fell across his shoulders, framing a toned face and blue eyes. The man pulled what seemed to be a small rope from his belt and tied his hair up into a high ponytail to get it out of his face. 

"The name's Thorin. I come from the Fifth Fleet which arrived in the New World a year ago. I was hunting that Zorah Magdaros with my allies when one of the rocks it shot out hit me in the head and knocked me out cold. It must have fled before they noticed I was gone. I was in an area of the shell where water wasn't getting in so when it went under at least I didn't drown. I came to when it breached on an island to bask. Got caught on its shell when it went back under and nearly drowned. That's when that black-scaled monster snatched me up. I blacked out again and now we're here." The hunter, Thorin, explained to the three.

The woman glared, arms crossed, as he finished explaining. "So you ARE a dragon hunter! I told you he was dangerous, Hiccup!" She exclaimed.

Hiccup sighed and shook his head. "You were right, Astrid, but I've never heard of this 'Fifth Fleet'. How long were you on that dragon?" He asked Thorin who shrugged.

"No clue. I'd assume at least a few days." He said. "What's this area called?"

"You're in the Barbaric Archipelago." Hiccup said, having to look up at the taller man. "Pretty far North from what I've found."

The hunter nodded and hummed in thought. "This isn't good... I need to get back to everyone, but how...?" He thought out loud, pacing. Astrid kept a wary eye on the hunter while Fishlegs left to inform the others of what was going on. 

While he thought about ways to get back home, Astrid pulled Hiccup aside who gave a confused look. "Hiccup, we can't let him leave. He's a dragon hunter, he'll just go back to killing whatever dragons live where he came from." She said with a frown and Hiccup nodded with a sigh. 

"I know, I was thinking the same thing. We can't just keep him as a prisoner forever either though. He's not attacking our dragons anymore so maybe he can be convinced to stop killing?" He suggested and after a moment Astrid nodded.

"I don't trust him but I've seen firsthand how good at changing minds you are." She teased with a chuckle and Hiccup responded with a laugh. 

"Wish me luck. I'm hoping this won't be as hard as convincing my dad." He said, going back over to Thorin. "Want me to show you around the place?" He suggested with a smile and Thorin nodded with his own small smile.

"That would be nice. I'd like to know the area I may be stuck in for a while." He said and the two were off touring the Edge.

On an island not far from the Edge the area was bustling with activity. Excitement teemed the air and from one man came commands barked out quickly and efficiently. A dragon unlike any they'd seen previously had been spotted, with a strength unmatched by those fought before. By morning they would have it, a beast unlike anything he'd ever seen. Soon it would be his, and with it he would harness its powers to destroy those Dragon Riders. It was only a matter of time.


	3. New Lessons

It had been a day since the Edge had a new visitor. Thorin had fit in relatively well, though he kept well away from the dragons whenever they were around. Despite his distaste for the beasts, however, he kept to his word and didn't attack them again. The day started off calm. Hiccup was taking a lap around the island on Toothless to check over their defenses and the Night Watch. When he landed back at the Edge he was met with Thorin leaning against the wall of the hangar, arms crossed.

"So, when are you going to give me back my weapon and armor?" He asked immediately as Hiccup hopped off Toothless.

"You've only been here a day, Thorin. It's not that I don't trust you, but..." The rider trailed off and Thorin rolled his eyes.

"But you don't trust me. It's obvious. Your two lackeys always shadowing me sure don't help your case." He said and the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut, poked their heads out from behind the hangar. 

"Hey! How did you know we were here?!" Tuffnut exclaimed.

"He must be a mind reader!" Ruffnut explained, petting Chicken who clucked in agreement before the three ran off.

Hiccup shook his head at the twins antics. "I know that looks bad, but I didn't put them up to that. That would be Astrid." He said and Thorin scoffed.

"Either way I'd enjoy some privacy." He said, going over and glancing down at Toothless untrustingly, who tilted his head in return. "Plus I'd like something to defend myself with. Your monsters may be tamed but I've seen plenty of wild ones around." He pointed out.

Hiccup laughed and rubbed Toothless' head. "Oh, don't worry about them! Dragons don't want to hurt you at all, if anything they're more scared of you than you are of them." He explained but Thorin cocked an eyebrow, doubtful of that.

"Where I come from the monsters more often than not attack on site, whether you pose a threat of not. You just got lucky in the ones you've found." The hunter said and Hiccup shrugged, looking down at his dragon.

"I probably have gotten lucky. I know I did when I found Toothless. But still, I believe that no dragon is cruel or mean without reason. It's usually always from fear or human influence." Thorin tilted his head, watching Toothless who gave a happy low trill, nuzzling Hiccup's hand. Getting an idea, Hiccup looked up at Thorin with an excited grin. "You haven't even ridden a dragon yet, have you? C'mon, we'll go flying around and I'll show you some of the dragons in the area!" He suggested and the hunter hesitated at that, glancing between the dragon and the rider.

"Let me bring my weapon and armor just in case and it's a deal." He finally said. After thinking this over, Hiccup nodded.

"Deal. Let's go grab your stuff then." He said and led Thorin over to his room, handing over the armor but unable to lift the massive jawbone sword. "How do you carry this??" He exclaimed as Thorin slipped on the armor.

"I don't like to brag or anything but I'm pretty strong. Lots of hunters back where I'm from use these types of weapons though. It's called a Greatsword." He explained, reaching over and easily picking up the weapon that was as big as he was and slinging it over his back where it stayed strapped.

"Why would you need a weapon that big? Are the dragons where you're from really that dangerous?" The rider asked and Thorin nodded.

"That they are. In the New World and the Old it's kill or be killed. While the monsters here may be calm and tamable, back there they're savage killing machines. Most of the time the big ones almost destroy the ecosystems they live in. Us hunters kill the ones that cause trouble, to humans or their homes." He explained. 

Hiccup was surprised by that. The dragon hunters he'd met were only after money, fame, or power. Yet it seemed like this hunter was a sort of protector where he was from, for both the environment and the people. "What do you mean by protecting the ecosystem? Why would a dragon destroy its own home?" They headed back outside, the rider hopping on Toothless and gesturing for Thorin to climb on.

The hunter hesitated, wary about riding a dragon, but obliged and climbed on. "Well, one of them called the Deviljho is a monster that never stops eating. It lives to eat and that leads to eating everything in the land. It's also extremely aggressive. Us Hunters are sent to either capture or kill it to avoid unnecessary human and animal death." Thorin explained as Hiccup listened intently, the hunter holding tight to the saddle as Toothless took to the air. 

The rider thought this over. Protecting lives by ending others. It reminded him of how Berk used to be. The dragons would attack every night, raiding their food and destroying their homes, but in the end they had been forced to do that or else they themselves would die to the Red Death. Killing the Red Death had ended up having to die for everything to get better. A life lost for many to thrive.

Hiccup nodded, looking out across the skyline towards a smaller island they were heading towards that had many kind dragons he'd met before. "I understand that. It makes sense why you don't trust the dragons then. You're just used to them attacking and destroying. Trust me though, none of these dragons will attack without reason. Wherever you're from must be a hard place to survive which makes the animals a lot more aggravated." 

Thorin looked down to the ocean, grip tightening nervously on the saddle. "It's definitely not as peaceful as this place seems, no. Does everyone here like these dragons as much as you guys?" He asked curiously as they descended to land. 

Hiccup frowned and shook his head. "If only. There's plenty of dangers from people trying to capture or kill dragons. Right now the two main groups trying to destroy us Riders are the Dragon Hunters led by Viggo and Ryker Grimborn and the Berserker Tribe led by the very insane Dagur the Deranged. The Hunters mainly want to sell dragons while Dagur's just after power." He explained, climbing off Toothless as the dragon landed, followed by Thorin hopping off and looking around. 

"They sounds dangerous. Think they'll attack at all?" Thorin asked curiously, following Hiccup and Toothless as they headed into the treeline.

"It's always a possibility. They don't know where our base is but they sure are persistent in finding it." He said, the group approaching a large pond with many dragons all around drinking from the clear waters. 

Thorin blinked in surprised, taken aback to see so many types of dragons around peacefully drinking from the water. Hiccup slowly approached one of the smallest dragons in the area, holding out his hand as the dragon looked up warily and spread its wings with a small growl. Not seeing a threat, however, the dragon calmed down and curiously sniffed the extended hand before chirping and nuzzling it, allowing the rider to pet him. Hiccup smiled at Thorin and gestured for him to come closer. The hunter slowly approached and the dragon paused and growled. Glancing over at Hiccup for guidance, the rider reached over and grabbed his wrist, slowly extending it to the nervous dragon. It tilted its head and sniffed him before purring and pressing his head into the extended hand. 

Thorin gave a surprised smile and carefully pet the small dragon. "Wow- This is... Different." He chuckled and Hiccup nodded, grinning proudly, sitting down and scratching Toothless' chin as his dragon settled beside him.

"Seems like that little Terrible Terror likes you!" Thorin sat beside the little dragon which happily climbed into his lap and curled up. This peaceful place certainly was much different than the New World.

Thorin had to admit, he was enjoying his time here. It was nice to not be threatened by every creature in the land. "Thanks for bringing me out here, Hiccup. This was quite the experience." He said with a happy smile which Hiccup returned with his own, glad to be able to convince the hunter that not every dragon was out to kill him.


	4. Red Beast

Thorin sat on one of the many cliffsides overlooking the Edge, looking out across the vast ocean ahead. The sky was a baby blue, dotted with crisp white clouds, the soft breeze carrying the salty smell of the sea with each breath. It was only the third day the hunter had arrived but he was vying to find a way back home. Hiccup had suggested taming a dragon and flying it back but doing that would likely end up with the dragon killed when he got back to his home, and taking a boat would take weeks if not months. Hiccup had offered to come with to bring back the dragon but with the threat of the Dragon Hunters and Dagur they had decided that wouldn't work either. So, Thorin would be stuck here a bit longer. 

The hunter was brought back to the present by the sound of things falling and papers scattering everywhere. He looked to where the sound had come from, the central building on the Edge the riders used for meetings and hanging out, curiosity bringing him to his feet and taking him over. Entering the common room, Thorin was met with quite a mess. Hiccup was leaning on the center table looking over what looked like a book full of sketches, more papers and books scattered all around him like he was searching for something. Rummaging with him were the twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut who were surprisingly focused on the task at hand. 

"What's going on here?" Thorin asked, confused. Hiccup answered without looking up.

"The twins are saying they ran into a new dragon and we're trying to find any information of what it might be!" He explained and Thorin tilted his head, looking over at the twins who nodded quickly.

"Yeah! It was huge and red all over and spiky too! It took one look at us and started shooting fireballs!" Ruffnut explained.

"We barely escaped with our lives." Tuffnut added over-dramatically.

"What? Spiky red dragon that shoots fireballs? Did it have a big tail with even more spikes?" Thorin asked, a bit worried that he may know what dragon they're talking about.

"Yeah! huge spikes, one really big one at the tip of the tail. Why?" Tuffnut said as Hiccup looked over at Thorin.

"Thorin? Do you know what this dragon is?" The rider asked, concern obvious on his face.

Thorin sighed and nodded, arms crossed. "If it's the monster it sounds like, yes. Yes I do. Where did you see it?" He asked the Twins.

"Oh! Oh! Over on Backwater Island!" Ruffnut exclaimed, "Just south of here." She explained seeing Thorin's confused expression.

The hunter nodded and turned to Hiccup who whistled for Toothless, the dragon bounding in from outside. "Let's go check things out." Thorin said and Hiccup nodded, climbing on Toothless as Thorin climbed on behind him.

"Alright. C'mon, Ruffnut, Tuffnut! We'll need your help with this." Hiccup said as Toothless headed outside.

The twins excitedly laughed and ran off to get their dragon Barf and Belch, the two-headed nuisance as Thorin called it. Hiccup looked back at the hunter as they waited. "So, this dragon. What's it called? What can it do? How dangerous has it been?" He asked quickly, excited at the prospect of meeting a new dragon.

Thorin chuckled in amusement. "Slow down. I'll tell you all I know about it. If this dragon is what I think it is, it's known as the King of the Skies and rules the air back where I'm from. Like the twins said, it can shoot fire, but not only that it's claws and tail are venomous. It's brutal and extremely aggressive so I'd say our best bet would be to either kill it or drive it off."

Hiccup's eyes widened and he quickly shook his head. "No, no! we aren't killing anything! I know where you're from you say you have to kill to keep the balance but we don't do that here, alright? Maybe if we show it that we aren't a threat it won't attack?" He suggested and Thorin rolled his eyes.

"If you feel suicidal, sure, go right ahead. I'll give it a chance but the moment it attacks I'm fighting back." The hunter insisted and Hiccup nodded after a moment.

"Fine. It's a deal." He said, the sound of wings flapping bringing their eyes to the sky as the twins flew above.

"C'mon, guys! Find dragon now, talk later!" Tuffnut called down, flipping his dragon's head along with himself upside-down to get closer.

"Alright, alright! Let's go, Toothless!" Hiccup said and his dragon gave an affirmative roar, taking off after the other dragon as the twins flew off towards the island.

When they arrived at the island, Thorin was surprised to see how scorched it was. Many patches of the forest had been burned away and in some spots were bare, like the trees had been knocked over. "That Rathalos must've been chasing off a bunch of the native dragons. Claiming this island as his." The hunter explained and Hiccup nodded, looking down into the forest as Toothless glided above it, Barf and Belch beside them though a lot less stable in their flight as the twins argued about where the Rathalos had been. 

Thorin shook his head at their fighting and looked down towards the forest only to be met with a fireball shooting past his face, Toothless letting out a surprised roar and flailing in his flight, knocking into Barf and Belch and sending both dragons and their riders into the trees slamming into the ground. The hunter rolled across the ground before he came to an abrupt stop against a tree, breath knocked out of him and what he assumed would become a nasty bruise later. 

Hiccup had landed nearby, though he had been attacked to Toothless's saddle and had landed draped across his dragon's belly as the beast had landed on its back. "Well, we found the Rathalos." The rider said with a groan, unclipping himself from the saddle and getting off Toothless, letting the dragon get to its feet and shake dirt and leaves from himself.

Thorin got to his feet, brushing dirt from himself and looking around. "I think that Rathalos was the one who found us." He pointed out , going over to Hiccup. "Where'd Ruffnut and Tuffnut go down?" He asked, looking around the surrounding forest but seeing nothing.

Hiccup opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by the screams of said twins and the protective roar of their dragon nearby. The three quickly ran towards the sound, finding the Rathalos standing off against the two-headed dragon, wings spread wide in threat and teeth bared as it growled. Toothless roared and ran over to stand beside Barf and Belch, the Rathalos snarling as a second foe appeared. 

"Wait, hold on! He's just trying to defend his territory!" Hiccup called out to the dragons but it only caused the Rathalos to look to where the sound came from. When it noticed the two people its attention was taken away from the two dragons and it turned to face them, head low and a clawed foot scratching at the ground threateningly. 

Hiccup put his hands up and made himself smaller by crouching down slightly. "Hey, woah- Nobody's here to hurt you. Don't worry." He reassured the agitated dragon quietly. The Rathalos' eyes narrowed as it watched the human slowly approach. "There, there. That's right, you're fine." The rider said with a smile. Thorin had to admit, he was impressed. It seemed like the Rathalos was calming down. Maybe Hiccup stood a chance at taming the monsters he had to hunt.

Then he noticed it. A slight shift in the Rathalos' position as Hiccup got to an arms length away. The muscles in its legs tensed and the hunter ran forward, knocking Hiccup to the ground at the dragon lunged, its teeth snapping closed where the rider had been a moment before. Toothless roared in panic as his friend had almost been killed and fired a plasma blast at the Rathalos who snarled and turned,charging the dragons. One of the heads spitting out a cloud of green gas around the aggressive dragon while the other lit the gas, causing an explosion that made the Rathalos jerk back with a roar. 

As the dragons fought, Thorin stood, grabbing Hiccup's hand and pulling him to his feet. "You alright-? He asked, glancing him over for any wounds, and the rider nodded quickly.

"I'm fine, I'm fine! Let's get this dragon scared off, maybe it'll go back home." He said and Thorin nodded, running over to Rathalos as it shot off a fireball, missing Toothless who jumped away before firing off its own blast of plasma. The hunter let out a battle cry and grabbed the greatsword from his back, slamming it down on the Rathalos' head and causing it to snarl and jerk away, though with its tough scales it wasn't a bloody wound. Finding that it was outnumbered, the dragon let out a loud roar before taking to the sky and flying off. 

The twins approached Thorin as he put his greatsword back on his back, grinning like they hadn't almost died. "Wow! Wouldn't want to get on your bad side with that weapon of yours." Tuffnut joked while Ruffnut laughed.

Thorin rolled his eyes with a small grin and looked over to Hiccup who had gone over to Toothless and was making sure his partner was okay, disappointment clear on his face. The hunter went over, setting a hand on his shoulder. "You alright? Really?" He asked again and Hiccup sighed, leaning against Toothless's side.

"It's just... If you hadn't been there- I didn't even see the attack coming!" He exclaimed, running a hand through his ruffled hair.

"Well, not to say I told you so, but I did say that the monsters from the New and Old World were more aggressive than the ones you're used to. To be fair though... I think it did believe you weren't going to hurt it for a second there. Maybe you just got too close?" He suggested and Hiccup looked up at him hopefully. 

"You think so?" He asked and Thorin nodded with a smile.

"I know so. I'm sure you'll be able to find something from my place you'd be able to tame." The hunter reassured and Hiccup returned the smiled, standing with a determined nod.

"Alright! Then I guess we'll have to start doing more more exploring. It seems for some reason monsters from your home are migrating here and we need to find out why. Let's get back to the Edge!" Hiccup said and climbed onto Toothless who spread his wings with an invigorated roar. 

"Now that's more like it! Let's go!" Thorin said with a laugh, joining him on Toothless and taking off back towards the Edge with the twins close behind.


	5. Market Mania

Since they had gotten back from fighting the Rathalos, Hiccup and Thorin had been in the rider's hut, the hunter explaining everything he knew about the monsters he'd faced while Hiccup wrote down every detail and with Thorin's help sketched out pictures of the monsters. Toothless lay napping on his stone slab bed while they worked. By the next day, stopping only to sleep, they had only gotten through about half of the beasts. 

The next morning Thorin was awake bright and early, pacing along the landing pad in front of the dragon stable. His thoughts were on why the monsters from his land, so far away, were showing up in this vastly different land. What would be causing species to migrate away from their natural environment? He had assumed that the Zorah Magdaros he had arrived on had simply been a one-off invader but with the appearance of the Rathalos it seemed that the smaller monsters may also be showing up.

He hummed lightly, rubbing his chin and stopping his pacing to look out across the ocean, rising sun casting a glimmering orange across the sea. Throughout the history of the Guild it seemed that the only consistent thing that drove the creatures from their natural habitats was an imbalance in the natural order or their ecosystems. Undiscovered monsters showing up out of the blue, a virus plaguing the lands, or powerful Elder Dragons that reshaped the land to their desire. It would likely be one of these options - but without being back home he wouldn't be able to figure out which one or if it really was a disruption of the natural order.

His contemplation was abruptly broken as a hand landed on his shoulder and, snapped out of his thoughts, Thorin quickly looked down to see Snotlout. 

"Hellooo! You there big guy?" The rider called. "Geez, you've been staring at the ocean for way too long. Come on, Hiccup's sending us to get some supplies from the market! He has entrusted me with the shopping!" He said with a cocky grin, making Thorin roll his eyes.

"Really? What's he looking for?" He asked curiously and Snotlout shrugged, pulling out a parchment from his pocket. "Things for all his tinkering. He came out of his hut in a mood, had an idea for a new invention or something." He explained, his dragon Hookfang approaching, sniffing Thorin curiously since they hadn't been around each other much.

Thorin nodded and after a moment pat the dragon's nose, met the a small huff of breath from the beast. "Alright, guess we'd better be quick!" He chuckled and climbed up on the dragon as it crouched down to let him up, its rider giving a surprised and then annoyed glare to his dragon. 

"Don't you be all buddy-buddy with him, you traitor!" Snotlout complained before letting out a surprised shout as Hookfang picked him up by the front of his shirt and tossed him over his shoulder, the rider landing on the dragon's back before it took off.

Thorin laughed at the dragon's acts as Snotlout sat up in position, holding onto his dragon's horns. "Quite a feisty dragon, huh? Kinda like its rider." He joked.

"Oh haha, laugh it up. Hookfang still knows I'm the boss!" He insisted and in return the dragon shook his head and almost caused Snotlout to fall off, the rider letting out a scared yelp and holding onto the horns tighter.

"Oh, of course, of course." Thorin snickered, looking around as they flew. "So, where's this market we're headed for?" He asked to change the subject.

Snotlout grinned and sat up taller, taking enjoyment in knowing something that the hunter didn't. "Oh yeah! It's a bit dangerous so stick near me, alright? This is a shady place with a bunch of dragon hunters and berzerkers." The rider warned. "Don't worry, though. "I'll make sure to keep you safe." He said cockily.

"Oh, of course. I trust you with my life. What would I do without you?" Thorin said sarcastically but Snotlout only heard praise and laughed.

"Don't you worry, you won't have to find out!" He said, falling silent as they landed at the edge of an island in the forest. "We'll have to leave Hookfang here. We don't want any unnecessary attention." He explained, hopping off the dragon with Thorin following him down.

"Good plan. Let's make this quick then, if this place is as dangerous as you say." The hunter said, patting the dragon on its neck and receiving a rumble as Snotlout nodded and headed into the forest towards the sounds of people.

When they arrived in the market Thorin was surprised by the amount of stuff everywhere. Stalls and people selling and buying a bunch of different things. Some stalls had dragon parts, others had jewelry, and others still had weapons and random things. He'd never been in a trading area this busy before, it was slightly overwhelming. 

Noticing his pause, Snotlout gave the hunter a grin. "Try not to get lost, big guy!" He joked and headed into the crowd, Thorin quickly following behind.

The hunter checked over the parchment Hiccup had given him, reading over what they had been sent to get, the only problem being how bad he was at reading. "So... I'm going to assume he just needs a lot of metal things." Snotlout said and Thorin reached over, grabbing away the paper with a complaint from the rider.

"Bolts, leather, metal, logs, paint... We've got quite a bit to get. You sure Hookfang can carry it all?" He asked and Snotlout nodded, arms crossed.

"Of course he can! He's my dragon, he can carry anything!" He insisted.

Thorin rolled his eyes and nodded. "If you say so." He said and headed over to one of the stands to buy some of the things they needed. After buying some bolts though, he noticed that Snotlout had disappeared. The hunter, confused, looked around for the short man. "Snotlout? Where'd you go?" He called out, walking through the crowd of people. 

Without the abrasive rider by his side, Thorin was able to notice that the people seemed to give him a wide berth as he walked through them and, knowing that he was covered in armor made of slayed monsters while carrying the massive jawbone sword of another, he figured that despite the fact that these people were likely dragon slayers too they were intimidated. He didn't mind the aversion though. It would make finding Snotlout easier, and he hoped the cocky man hadn't gotten himself into trouble.

As he passed by an alleyway a yell of panic made him pause. Looking into the shadows he could make out the shape of many people surrounding, who else, Snotlout. One of them, a rather short but stocky man, laughed unnervingly.

"Snotface! Glad we could finally meet up again. What brought you to the market?" He asked, smirk twisted by a jagged scar across his face.

"Geez... What trouble did you get into?" Thorin called out as he approached, arms crossed, the aggressors looking over at the new person and many freezing up. "So, care to introduce me to your friends, Snotlout?" He asked, pushing aside one of the guys and approaching the relieved rider. Before he could answer though, the man Thorin assumed to be the leader, spoke up.

"You didn't tell me you made a new friend! And a dragon killer at that? Snotnose, you surprise me!" He cackled, his men nervously joining in on the laughter. "And if you want to know, I'm Dagur, leader of the Berserker Tribe!" He said with a smirk.

Thorin gave a nod to Dagur. "Well, nice to meet you. Now, if you don't mind, we'll be leaving." He said and grabbed Snotlout's arm but Dagur held up a hand and made him pause.

"Hold on now! I introduced myself to you, so you introduce yourself to me." The Berserker pointed out.

Thorin bit back a sigh as the other Berserkers moved in closer, tightening their circle around the two. "Oh, of course. My name is Thorin. So, now that we've been introduced, I'd prefer to be leaving before things have to get bloody." The hunter repeated but was only met with another laugh from Dagur.

"Oh, you two won't be going anywhere. You'll be good bait for your friends." The Berserker threatened with a grin.

"I'd rather not do this but if you insist..." Thorin said, grabbing the greatsword from his back at Dagur called the attack order. With his other hand he grabbed Snotlout's arm and pulled him closer. With only one hand to control his sword, instead of swinging for an attack, Thorin used the side of his blade to smack some of the Berserkers into the wall before making a break for it through the created opening, dragging Snotlout along and sheathing his sword.

"Well, I guess this'll be a quicker trip than expected!" Snotlout exclaimed, running alongside the hunter as they weaved through the crowd, pursued by the furious Berserkers now out for blood, who shoved people aside in their haste to catch their fleeing enemies.

"You can't get away without your flaming lizard!" Dagur called out and Snotlout's eyes widened. "They got Hookfang?!" He exclaimed but Thorin shook his head.

"It could be a bluff, we'll see when we get there." He pointed out and, as they reached the beach where they'd left Hookfang, they were met with their answer. The dragon was trapped, held down by Berserkers holding fireproof chains across the dragon.

The two skidded to a halt, panting for breath, the pursuing Berserkers surrounding them from behind as Dagur slowly approached. His arms were crossed and a wide grin was plastered across his face. "End of the line for you two."


	6. Chapter 6

Thorin looked between the two surrounding groups of enemies, one keeping Hookfang pinned to the ground and the other pointing weapons at them. The leader, Dagur, was smirking and standing proud. 

"Come to the market for supplies and leave with prisoners. What a deal!"He laughed and Snotlout glared.

"Who says you're getting away with us? We have a trick up our sleeve that would leave you dead!" He snapped, surprising both Dagur and Thorin.

The hunter glanced down at Snotlout, confused, but a returned look from Snotlout made him grin and nod. "Oh yeah, something real dangerous. I don't think you want to test us." He bluffed. The two were met with a glare from Dagur who scoffed.

"Oh really? What is it that's so dangerous then?" He questioned and Thorin shook his head.

"Just a massive dragon we tamed! It uses fire and venom!" Snotlout said with a cocky grin and Thorin nodded in agreement.

Though Dagur was still obviously skeptical, his men were starting to look a bit worried. "Really? Then where is it?" The Berserker questioned.

Thorin pointed behind the shorter man. "Right behind you." He said and with a surprised look on his face Dagur and his men quickly turned to attack. Met with nothing but trees, however, they were caught off guard as the two riders used the distraction to their advantage and attacked the men keeping Hookfang trapped, knocking them away and freeing the beast.

Hookfang reared up and roared,breathing fire at the Berserkers in front of him as Thorin and Snotlout quickly climbed up, the dragon taking off as the Berserkers scattered. Dagur's enraged yell could be heard as they flew away.

Thorin laughed, watching the island shrink in the distance. "Great bluffing, Snotlout! Quick thinking on your end!" He praised and Snotlout grinned and sat taller.

"You're the one who saved my butt in the first place!" He pointed out with a chuckle and Thorin nodded, smiling.

"Fair enough. Sucks we didn't get everything Hiccup was wanting but I'd say not getting kidnapped is a good trade-off. Maybe we can stop by an island to get some of the logs he needed though?" The hunter suggested and Snotlout nodded.

"Good idea! Timberjack Isle should have plenty of trees already cut down." He said and steered Hookfang in the direction of the island.

"Timberjack? Haven't seen one of those before." Thorin said curiously.

Snotlout glanced back at the hunter and nodded. "That's right! You don't really know about any dragons from around here. Timberjacks are pretty small but they have huge wings that're razor-sharp! They cut through trees a lot as they fly around." He explained and Thorin tilted his head.

"Really? Sounds pretty dangerous!"

Snotlout laughed and shook his head. "Only if you upset them!"

Thorin hummed lightly in thought and gave a nod, thinking once more about how peaceful this place seemed despite the dangers of the Berserkers he'd just met and the Dragon Hunters Hiccup had mentioned. It was strange not having to fight to survive against everything.

By the time the two arrived back at the Edge the sun had begun to set and the sky was painted pink and blue. Hookfang landed and the two riders got off, taking the supplies they'd gotten down with them. Hiccup walked over to meet them, concern written on his face.

"What took you guys so long? I didn't think it'd take all day to get a few things." He asked and Thorin handed over a satchel of bolts for the rider to carry as the three brought the supplies to his hut.

"We had a run-in with those Berserkers. We had to leave before we could get everything and had to stop by Timberjack Isle to get some logs for you." Thorin explained and Hiccup gave a look of surprise.

"Dagur?! You guys aren't hurt at all, right?" He asked and Snotlout grinned.

"Of course not! Thanks to my brilliant deception we made it out unscathed!" He boasted and Thorin chuckled at Hiccup's baffled expression.

"It's true. He scared those Berserkers into thinking that Rathalos was there and distracted them long enough for us to escape." Thorin said.

Hiccup looked over at Snotlout as they entered the room and smiled. "Well, sounds like you guys had an exciting adventure. Good thinking on that, Snotlout." He praised as they all set their supplies down, said rider smiling widely, chest puffed out with pride.

"Of course! I had to make sure our hunter here was kept safe!" He chuckled, slapping a hand on Thorin's shoulder and making said hunter roll his eyes with a grin.

"My hero." He said sarcastically as Snotlout left to take Hookfang's saddle off.

Hiccup dug through the supplies they'd brought, pulling out some of the metal rods, leather, and bolts as Thorin watched curiously. "So, what're you making?" He asked as Hiccup pulled out a large piece of parchment with the sketch of what looked like metal plating across it.

Hiccup sat down at the desk and got to work, focusing on the things at hand. "I'm going to try and make some armor for the dragons. Something not too heavy so it'll have to protect the vital parts like the stomach." He explained and Thorin nodded, scanning over the blueprints.

"That should be nice to have! What spurred this invention?" He asked and Hiccup glanced up at the hunter, pausing in his tinkering.

"That Rathalos. If the fireball it shot had been just a few inches left it would have hit Toothless right in the chest. Since we're always flying it leaves such a vulnerable spot open to attack from anyone. This should help solve that issue if I can make sure the plates are connected in a way to keep them flexible." Hiccup explained.

Thorin gave a smile. "Great idea. I'm sure you'll be able to pull it off! Need any help?" He asked and after a moment the rider nodded.

"Alright, sure. If you're able to get some holes punched in the metal scales that'll be great!" He said and handed over one of the plates which Thorin took and looked over. 

"Can do!" The hunter exclaimed and grabbed a hammer and chisel from the desk, getting to work on making the holes while Hiccup worked on other parts.


	7. Into Danger

It had now been a week since Thorin had arrived on Dragons Edge. More than a week now since he'd been taken from his home on the back of a Zorah Magdaros. During his time here on the Edge, telling the riders about his home and the creatures that inhabited it, the ache for his old life continued to grow. He wondered what his hunting partners were up to. Wondered if they were still looking for him or if he'd been pronounced dead. He wondered what crazy monsters they may have found in the New World during his absence and hoped that whatever they may find that they'd be able to handle it. At that thought the hunter began to worry more for his allies than for his own self. What if some dangerous new Elder Dragon was found and one of his friends died while he couldn't save them? What if while they looked for him they were ambushed by a monster? Before his thoughts could get too out of hand and before the guilt and anxiety left him breathless the hunter quickly shook his head, grounding himself in the present be focusing on the task at hand. 

Right now Thorin was walking down a beach bordering a thin forest, mostly filled with large clearings of green grass. The sand beneath his feet crunched with each step, damp from the spray of the ocean as waves crashed against the steep shoreline, nearly turned to a cliff by the never-ending waves. He had arrived on the island with Hiccup, Astrid, and Fishlegs as a new dragon had been sighted by the Twins when they had passed over the island earlier. They hadn't gotten a good look at whatever it was so the hunter wasn't sure if it was another invader from his own land.

Upon arriving on the large island the group had split up, and despite Hiccup's concern since the hunter didn't have a dragon to help him he had insisted he'd be fine with his sword. So far there was no sign of any monster and none of the dragon riders had called for help. The hunter looked to the forest, the lack of trees making it hard for any monster to possibly hide among the foliage, so where else would it be if not there? Thorin's answer came with a deep roar as a heavy weight slammed into him, a large webbed paw pinning him to the ground. Hooked orange claws wet with water dug into the sand by Thorin's head and the hunter's eyes widened as he pushed against the heavy weight, managing to roll himself onto his back to look up at what had attacked him. He was met with the fierce red glare and large maw of a leviathan he recognized from the Old World. Rugged blue scales glinted in the sun, paired with a sleek sandy-colored underside. Their mystery dragon was the Sea Wyvern, Lagiacrus. 

As the monster reared its head back and let out a deep rumbling roar Thorin, using the still-loose sand to his advantage, wriggled out from under the beast's paw and drew his sword, blocking a bite as the Leviathan snapped at the escaped hunter. In retaliation Thorin swung the blade into the side of the monster's head, causing it to jerk back with a furious snarl. The Lagiacrus swiped at the hunter with a paw which Thorin easily dodged but, using the new angle to its advantage, the leviathan swung its tail into the hunter and knocked him to the ground. Thorin quickly rolled to the side as the Leviathan slammed its paws into the ground where the hunter had been only a moment before, throwing sand into the air and causing it to roar as some got in its eyes. Taking the opportunity the hunter charged, leaping onto the monster's arm and hoisting himself onto its back, leaving it writhing and snapping at him in an attempt to shake him off, though holding on just behind its long neck the Lagiacrus was unable to reach him. 

While Thorin was focused on not dying, however, he didn't notice the three ships that had stopped by the shore. It was only when someone yelled 'fire!' did he realize that the Lagiacrus wasn't his only enemy. Distracted, Thorin was shaken off by the Leviathan which turned to deal the finishing blow to the stunned hunter, but both were stopped in their tracks as a heavy metal net landed over both of them, pinning them to the ground. Both hunter and Leviathan struggled to escape the net as they were surrounded by armored men pointing swords and bows at the captured two. 

Surprised, Thorin glared and managed to shift under the net enough to sit up. "Who the hell are you guys?! Get me out from under this thing!" He snapped but was ignored. That was, until one man stepped forward. Calm, arms behind his back, looking over their captured bounty with a calculating gaze. The Lagiacrus continued to struggle under the net with angry snarls but was tiring, panting from exertion. 

The man, who Thorin assumed to be the leader, finally spoke. "Well, I had only intended to capture a dragon but it seems I caught another hunter as well." He said with a grin, looking at Thorin who simply glared.

"You won't be capturing me or this monster!" He snapped and his attacker gave a look of surprise before it turned to amusement.

"Oh really? You're a bit late to be saying that. You and this beast are already caught." He pointed out and nodded to one of his people who held a crossbow, the guy shooting the Lagiacrus and causing it to snarl before going limp, unable to properly move anymore, leaving Thorin surprised and confused. 

"What did you do to it?" The hunter demanded only to be met with a smirk. A sharp pinprick of pain hit him in the neck before everything went dark.

The next time Thorin came to the sound of waves crashing against wood echoed around him, the wood above creaking from footsteps. The hunter blinked open his eyes and slowly sat up, looking around in confusion. He felt the light swaying of a ship in the ocean and was almost lulled to sleep once more by it. The memory of what happened was what snapped him back to focus. Quickly the hunter reached for his sword but was met by air. His weapon was gone and, looking himself over, so was his armor. Thorin cursed under his breath and shakily stood. The tranquilizer was still wearing off, leaving him feeling like a heavy fog weighed on his body and mind. He did his best to ignore the sensation, however, and took inventory of his current situation.

It was obvious he'd been taken prisoner. He knew it was mostly his own fault though, letting his guard down like that. He should have ran off to get the other dragon riders to help. The adrenaline of the hunt had distracted him and he had gotten too focused on the Lagiacrus. Sighing, Thorin shook his head. What did they plan to do with him and the Leviathan? He doubted they knew what it did and what it was capable of and he doubted they knew that he did. Slowly he approached the door to his wooden prison, a metal barred door much larger than he was. He assumed that, if they captured the Lagiacrus, they must also capture other dragons and he was in one of those holding cages in the belly of the ship. 

Grasping one of the cold metal bars and looking out of his cell he was greeted with the sight of many dragons and monsters alike caged in cells just like his. He recognized the Lagiacrus in one of them, much too large to fit comfortably and fidgeting. In the others were native dragons he'd read about in one of Hiccup's books. A Monstrous Nightmare pacing its small cage, a Deadly Nadder fearfully curled up in a corner, a Changewing that scurried around in its cell vanishing and reappearing. The hunter frowned and shook his head. This was no way to treat a creature.

The echoing sound of footsteps brought him out of his thought and he quickly stepped away from the door, leaning against the wall with arms crossed as the man who'd captured them stepped into view, looking over their haul. Thorin glared as the man turned to look at him, meeting his glare with a grin.

"Finally awake I see! Good. I have some questions for you." He said simply and Thorin scoffed.

"What makes you think I'll answer any of your questions?" He snapped and the man laughed.

"You're in no position to refuse me! But if you need the incentive, you answer some of my questions and I allow you to leave?" He offered with a grin.

Thorin, surprised and very doubtful, rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. I doubt you'd just left me go on my merry way. You brought me along for a reason, you wouldn't let me go just like that." He pointed out, making the man chuckle with amusement.

"I suppose you aren't wrong... However, if you don't answer my questions I could just throw you overboard? Or how about feeding you for the dragon you were fighting?" He suggested instead and Thorin frowned, glancing away. It seemed he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

"Fine. But you get to answer my questions first!" Thorin demanded, not even waiting for the man to reply. "First: Who are you? Second: Why do you even need me?" He asked.

The man grinned, standing straighter to assert an air of authority. "My name is Viggo Grimborn. And you will find out in due time."


	8. Cunning Threats

Thorin was led to Viggo's room by two guards and the man himself, wrists chained together behind his back to prevent escape. When he was led into the room it was surprisingly small and bare. In the center of the room sat a desk covered in papers strewn across its surface, three chairs around it. Thorin was sat in the one in front of the desk while Viggo sat in one of the two on the other side, straightening some of the papers scattered about as the two other guards left. On one Thorin recognized a drawing of what looked to be the Lagiacrus and on another a different flying wyvern he'd yet to see here, the insect-like monster Astalos.

Thorin looked up at Viggo suspiciously, eyes narrowed. "What is all this?" He asked and the dragon hunter held up a hand.

"I'm the one asking questions now." He stated and Thorin reluctantly nodded. "Good. Now, it's obvious you aren't from around here. The armor you were wearing isn't like any of the dragons from around here. Along with that sword of yours. So, where are you from and how did you end up here?" Viggo asked and Thorin hesitated before explaining.

"I'm from what we call the New World. It's a new continent we're currently exploring. As for how I ended up here... I rode on the back of a huge dragon and just ended up here."

Viggo hummed in thought at this explanation, raising an eyebrow. "Really? Just rode along on its back?" He questioned and Thorin nodded.

"Yup, just rode on his back the whole way here! Not an accident or anything, meant to come here to... Explore." Thorin explained, really not wanting to admit that he'd been knocked out and accidentally ended up here. Especially to an enemy.

"I see... Does this mean you tamed the dragon that brought you here?" Viggo asked and after a moment Thorin nodded again.

"Yup! Fully tamed. I'm sure by now it's on its way to save me. I've been gone for quite a while now, after all." He bluffed but Viggo simply grinned. 

"If that's true then I'll just have another dragon to help me in my plans." He said and Thorin's eyes narrowed. 

"Plans? What kind of plans?" He asked but Viggo ignored him.

"Tell me, what do you know about a massive dragon covered in a sticky black tar?" He questioned, pushing over a paper with a sketch of the dragon. Its wings were skeletal in design, holding the ground like an extra set of hands as it stood tall. Its face was sharp with a pointed snout and its body thin, leading to a long thick tail. Thorin stiffened, surprised by the dragon he saw. He glanced up at Viggo, glaring.

"What do you want with it?" He demanded and Viggo gave a sickly sweet grin, as though reassuring the suspicious hunter.

"Oh, nothing. It's just a dragon I've heard about and was curious about it." He explained simply and Thorin scoffed.

"Yeah right! I'm not telling you anything!" He snapped and after a moment Viggo's smile dropped to a frown. The dragon hunter's arms crossed and he leaned back in his chair, keeping a chillingly calm exterior that made Thorin shudder nervously.

"I'd suggest you tell me what I want to know. You don't need, say, a hand to talk." He threatened calmly and Thorin gulped but sat straighter and glared.

"Then go ahead and cut off my hand. I'm not about to give you any help. I'm sure I can guess your plan with this dragon. Domination, destruction, terrorizing those in your way. I won't be a part of that." He said determinedly, despite his heart racing and terror pounding in his veins.

Viggo regarded him for a few moments, silent and calculating. After a few moments the dragon hunter smirked. "I admire your tenacity. In this case, however, it may end up being your death. I'll give you time to think about your options." He said and stood, a guard entering the room and grabbing Thorin by the chain on his wrists, pulling him to his feet while he continued to glare at Viggo.

"Might need a long while in that case." The hunter said stiffly as he was led out of the room and back towards his cell. As they were passing by the Deadly Nadder, however, Thorin grinned and with a swift kick slammed the guard into the cell door. Scared, the Deadly Nadder let out a squawk and shot out spines from its tail, many of which dug their way into the surprised guard who was left on the ground in pain.

Taking this opportunity, Thorin grabbed the keys from the man's belt and unlocked his chains as more guards rushed over. With no other choice Thorin ran over to the Lagiacrus' cage and unlocked the door. Sensing its chance, the Leviathan slammed it open and rushed out, roaring and knocking over the guards with furious attacks. With them distracted Thorin freed the other dragons which in turn also attacked the people that had held them captive. Among the crowd was Viggo who skillfully dodged around the fighting dragons as they busted their way above deck. Thorin quickly jumped on the Lagiacrus before Viggo could grab him, carried up and away from his captor. 

Now free above deck, the Lagiacrus arched its back and snarled, electricity coursing through the spines across its back as it shot a bolt of electrified water from its mouth onto some unlucky attackers. The other dragons, able to fly away, fled while they could while the Lagiacrus, a water-dweller, dove off the edge of the ship and into the ocean, Thorin holding on tight to avoid getting ripped away by the waves. Arrows darted through the water in pursuit of them but with the Leviathan's speed they swiftly escaped.

Once out of danger the Lagiacrus surfaced, leaving Thorin gasping for air and coughing. The dragon turned to its unintended rider and eyed him warily. The hunter lowered his gaze to avoid antagonizing the beast, hoping that it would at least realize that he had been the one to free it. And that it did, as the Lagiacrus looked ahead and swam towards an island in the distance.

Thorin gave a relieved sigh and brushed hair out of his face, his ponytail having come undone in the commotion. Along with his missing tie, however, he was also missing his armor and weapon. He frowned and looked back towards the boat as it got further and further away. His weapon, his armor, his hair tie. The things he'd brought from his home were now gone. His hair tie he could replace but his weapon and armor in enemy hands left a pit in his stomach. Unable to retrieve them, however, he could only hope it wouldn't come back to bite him.

Viggo watched the shape of the Leviathan in the distance as it got further and further away. His gaze was sharp as he watched his quarry escape. However, he too knew, Thorin had left behind his weapon and armor. He would meet the strange man again one way or another. The next time he wouldn't be able to escape.


	9. Lost and Alone

It took what seemed like hours for the duo to reach the island. By the time the Lagiacrus climbed onto the sandy shore the sun was beginning to set and it was visibly exhausted. Thorin climbed off its back and hesitated before rubbing the side of its long neck. 

"Thank you. I'm not sure if you can understand me but you saved me." He said with a smile and the Lagiacrus turned to the hunter. It watched him for a moment, as though looking for something, and when it seemed to have found it the monster turned and walked away into the forest.

Thorin let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding and watched the large Leviathan leave. He was shocked, really, that the monster had let him live. He was used to them attacking on sight be it a Hunter or civilian. It seemed like Hiccup may have been right about the intelligence of creatures like them. His dragons certainly seemed smart enough. Perhaps the monsters back home were just as intelligent, only they relied heavily on instinct and protecting their territories. He had heard that in another land there were people that rode the monsters he was used to hunting, befriending instead of culling the populations. 

The hunter shook his head and looked around, the chill of the oncoming night making him shiver under his wet clothes. Wherever he was he didn't recognize it. The island seemed much smaller than the one he'd been taken from and the sand beneath his feet was soft and dry, sloping into the ocean instead of dropping off. The forest was much thicker and with the shadows cast by the setting sun much darker. He needed a fire, as soon as possible.

Thorin headed into the foliage and as he walked picked out dry dead branches and leaves for a fire. Looking around he found a small cave that looked just big enough for him to be comfortable in and so he went over and set up the dead foliage for a fire. As he rubbed together two sticks in order to start an ember he thought to the Riders he'd left behind and hoped they hadn't also been captured. Since he didn't see them on the ship, however, he assumed they hadn't run into the dragon hunters and had missed their departure. 

Eventually Thorin brought the fire roaring to life and sat back, taking off the wet shirt to let it dry and get the cold off his skin, warming up in front of the flickering flames. The hunter hummed lightly in thought, wondering how he'd make it back to the Edge. This situation was too similar to how he'd ended up in the area in the firs place. He just hoped that this time he'd be able to figure a way out of it before things for too bad.

The next morning Thorin was awake as the sun rose, bathing the morning sky in its light. The fire from last night still smoldered and he kicked some dirt and rocks over the ashes to put it the rest of the way out before he left the cave. Now that it was light enough to see he noticed all around him were fir trees, branches bare of needles and reaching towards the sky. He hadn't seen an island like this before with the Riders so he must be pretty far away. Sighing, Thorin headed to the shore to get a look around for any other nearby islands. Upon getting there, though, he had to quickly duck behind a tree and hide. On the shore were many small boats and around them the dragon hunters from earlier. Peeking out from behind the tree, however, he was relieved to not see Viggo among the group. They must have followed him and the Lagiacrus through the night and landed just this morning since they were still on the shore.

Thorin crouched low to stay concealed in the brush as one of the men started barking orders and the group split, one heading past his hiding spot into the woods and the other walking down the shoreline. two men stayed back to watch over the boats. The hunter's eyes narrowed and he watched the two groups leave. Once they'd both gone from sight and hearing range Thorin crept towards the two guards who had begun to chat. Using this distraction the hunter attacked, kicking the feet of one out from under them and grabbing their sword before either could react. He pointed the sword at the one still standing who raised their hands in surrender, the one on the ground scrambling to their feet and backing away.

"I'll be taking one of these boats if that's fine with you two." Thorin said with a cheeky grin before, with a swift kick to the chest, one dragon hunter was on the ground unconscious and the other was running scared. "Guess my luck isn't all gone." Thorin said to himself, breaking holes in the other boats before climbing into the last one and rowing off. He wasn't sure which way would be best to go but if he stayed on that island he'd just end up caught by those dragon hunters. He wasn't about to let them use him for whatever plan Viggo had with the Elder Dragon he'd asked about.

That dragon... Thorin shuddered to think what Viggo was planning with it. It was known as the Giant Halberd Dragon. Gogmazios. A powerful Elder Dragon that seeped sticky black oil from its skin due to its diet of gunpowder it gets from raiding fortresses back in the Old World. If Viggo had managed to find one and could control it anything that stood in his path would be wiped out. He had to get back to Dragons Edge and warn the others. He just hoped he was going the right way and this wouldn't end up a death sentence. Thinking of the Elder Dragon threat, however, Thorin had to wonder what had driven a Gogmazios from its home? It wouldn't have just left its food supply behind for no reason. He desperately hoped that whatever was going on back home wasn't as bad as he was thinking.


	10. Familiar Foe

By the time Thorin made it to another island the sun was high in the sky. As the rowboat scraped onto shore Thorin climbed out and collapsed on the ground. His arms felt like jelly from all the rowing, his mouth felt as dry as a desert, and his stomach was growling angrily for food. He hadn't eaten since leaving the Edge and hunger was finally catching up to him. Groaning the hunter sat up, rubbing an aching arm and leaning back against the boat. He hadn't been in a survival situation like this in years. The only other time he'd really had to hunt his own food on his own was when he first joined the guild and ended up separated during a hunt through the thick tangle of a forest called the Everwood. He'd wandered through the maze for days before he finally found another hunting party that helped him out. Of course at the time he'd had his weapons and armor to defend himself with.

After resting for a while to allow feeling back to his arms Thorin stood and stretched before grabbing one of the paddles from the boat. He looked it over, testing its strength and finding it solid and tough. He could fashion a weapon out of this without messing up the paddle shape too much. Then again he wasn't sure the boat would be the best idea again. He'd barely been able to make it to this island without his arms falling off, he doubted he could go even further. Especially without even knowing where he was. Humming in thought Thorin entered the thin forest, brushing aside the thick foliage with the paddle. The only way he may be able to find the Edge or an ally would be to get somewhere higher. Looking up the island seemed to peak high in the sky just before the clouds lazily drifting above. That would be his best bet to get a lay of the land and the area around the island. 

Nodding determinedly to himself Thorin headed for the center of the island where the mountain lay. On his way he grabbed a sharp rock and started scraping away at the flat side of the paddle, making a makeshift spear for defense. Who knew what monster or dragon he'd run into on this island.

The hunter slowed as the ground began to slope upwards at the base of the mountain. With the spear finished and both hunger and thirst gnawing at him he knew he should first make sure he could survive this. He hoped that where there was a mountain there would be water flowing down it and started his walk around the base. Ahead he began to hear the rushing roar of what he hoped was water and not some dragon that sounded like water. His steps quickened until he was running. The trees ahead gave way to a clearing housing a rushing waterfall and panic stabbed through Thorin as he nearly fell over the edge of the cliff leading down to the pool of water. He caught himself with the spear by stabbing it into the ground to slow his momentum, some rocks falling over the edge to splash into the water below.

Letting out a breath of relief Thorin went over to the source of the waterfall, a small pond that seemed to carve straight out of the mountain beside it. The hunter sat next to the water and thirstily drank his fill before laying back in the sun for a short rest. Now that he had fresh water he'd be able to live for a few weeks at least. His body could survive starvation for about three weeks and he was confident in his ability to hunt if he could find animals so that wasn't much of a worry. Still, he really hoped he wouldn't be stuck here alone for 3 weeks in the first place. Especially with Viggo 

As the sun began to set Thorin finally got back up and looked into the pond, hoping to see an easy meal like fish but finding nothing. He'd have to check the lake down below to see if they had been washed down the waterfall. For now though he could put aside his hunger to focus on figuring out where he was. So up the mountain he went, following a thin trail that made the climb much easier. It made him wonder if people had been on this island before. It wouldn't be too hard to imagine. As he looked down across the forest and fields below, shimmering in the dusk light, he had to admit that this island was beautiful. The only strange thing was how empty it seemed. No fish in the water, the trees silent of birdsong, not even the stray dragon weaving among the underbrush. It was as if this island was devoid of life. 

Thorin reached the top of the mountain as the sun dipped below the horizon and the sky fell to darkness. The stars shimmered above, unhindered by the trees below. The top of the mountain, the hunter found, was surprisingly flat. opposite the path gaped the opening of a cave, the darkness within deep and foreboding. As the sound of claws scraping rock came from within it Thorin held the makeshift spear defensively. From the shadows emerged a familiar spiky red form, eyes narrowed as it observed the hunter. A scar across its jaw was what tipped Thorin off. It seems he'd found the Rathalos from a week ago. And it didn't look happy to see the human invading its current home. 

Wanting to try and avoid a fight Thorin lowered the spear and set it aside, the Rathalos watching the hunter's movements with a sharp unblinking gaze. Thorin crouched lower, hoping to show that he didn't want to fight and posed no threat. The Rathalos watched him closely, slowly approaching Thorin. He held his breath as it sniffed at him, a rumbling growl making him tense to dodge away if attacked, but after a few moments the wyvern turned away and walked over towards the edge of the cliff. Thorin let out the breath he had been holding, shivering lightly from the adrenaline, and watched the Rathalos as it took to the air, gliding down across the forest. Pulse still pounding and weak from exhaustion and hunger Thorin fainted.


	11. Unexpected Friend

Thorin was woken up something pushing against his side. He groaned and blinked open his eyes, confused and thinking last night had just been some bad dream, but was instead met by the face of a Rathalos looking down at him. Thorin stiffened and gulped, blinking up at the monster which watched him for a moment before moving away. Slowly the hunter sat up, keeping an eye on the dragon, but his attention was taken away as he realized beside him lay the body of what he recognized as a Rumblehorn. The thick scales across its side had been ripped off and much of the flesh already eaten by, he presumed, the Rathalos. It seems like it had left the remaining meat to the hunter.

Surprised by the gesture, especially from a wyvern that he'd already fought with, Thorin gave the dragon a thankful nod as it settled down at the edge of its den. The hunter stood and looked over the remaining meat, thankfully used to blood and guts in his line of work so not put off by the body, and was surprised to see much of the meat already scorched and crudely cooked. Either the Rathalos preferred to cook its meat or it had known that humans couldn't have raw meats.

Using his crude spear Thorin cut off some chunks of the meat before sitting down at the edge of the cliff and looking out across the ocean as he ate. As the sun peeked its way over the horizon and gave some light to the world the hunter looked for a recognizable landmark or island. Anything to help him get his bearings. But as he looked around there was nothing. Just a vast ocean in every direction, bathed in blues and pinks in the rising light. Thorin sighed and finished off the meat. laying back and looking to the fading stars. "Wish I knew how to track the stars. That'd make things much easier." He mumbled to himself. A chuff came from the Rathalos, as though replying to the hunter's words. 

Thorin looked over at is as it watched him. It certainly didn't seem like it'd attack any time soon. "Well, I guess if we're gonna be around each other for a while I should give you a name of sorts." He said to the dragon which tilted its head. "Hmm.... How's Clawdy sound?" The dragon huffed and turned its nose up at that. "No good? Yeah, agreed. How about Revon?" He suggested and the Rathalos growled with a huff of smoke. Another bad name. "No? What about.... Ombi?" The dragon paused for a moment before it let out a satisfied rumble and lay down.

"Ombi it is!" Thorin said with a smile and sat up. "Well, it's nice to meet ya Ombi! My name's Thorin. You can't say it but at least you'll know it!" He said with a chuckle, the dragon practically rolling his eyes. "Hey, you'll have to get used to me talking to you if we stick together. Nobody else for me to talk to around here." The hunter's answer was the dragon turning around to hide in its cave den, only its tail still sticking out. Thorin laughed and lay back down, arms crossed behind his head. "This has certainly been an unexpected turn of events."

Around midday Thorin was pacing relentlessly. Ombi watched the human in confusion, not understanding why he continued to walk back and forth in the same spot. Eventually the wyvern approached the hunter and nudged him, breaking Thorin out of his thoughts. "Oh- Sorry, Ombi. I was just thinking... I need to find a way back to my friends. I'm just not sure how. You can fy but I doubt you want me riding you-" The dragon letting out a huff of smoke confirmed this. "so my only option is to hope one of the Riders find me here or keep aimlessly sailing." Thorin explained, not even sure if the dragon fully understood what he was talking about.

After a moment Ombi looked around, sharp eyes scanning the horizon for whatever the hunter was looking for. In the far distance, only a speck to a humans' eyes, the wyvern's sharp eyes recognized the shape of another island. It looked between the human who had gone back to his pacing and the distant island before making up his mind. The Rathalos took to the air and flew off towards the landmass, leaving a surprised and confused Thorin behind on the top of the mountain.

Ombi flew high above the sea, gliding along the sporadic updrafts thrown by the waves. With his speed the Rathalos quickly approached the island. What had once been a distant mound was not clearly in view for the sharp-eyed wyvern. He picked out many buildings along the cliffside, winged creatures darting around the place along with some humans. As he approached he could smell the worry in the air, hanging like a fog across the land. Slowing his approach Ombi landed on a cliff overlooking the buildings, unnoticed by the distracted creatures below. The wyvern tilted his head as voices reached him, carried by the winds and echoed along the cliffs. 

"We need to find him, Astrid! It's my fault he's gone!" A male voice protested. Ombi picked out the speaker to be a young male human with brown fur on his head. He stood with a female human whos fur was long and blonde. 

"Hiccup, it's not your fault! I was there too. I didn't hear anything either. All we know is there were signs of a struggle and boat marks. No blood or anything. Thorin has to be alive." The female reassured. Ombi perked up at the sound of the human's name. So these must be the allies he was talking about finding. 

The male, Hiccup, nodded with a sigh. "I know, I know. We need to find out who took him. That's the only way we'll find him." He said, arms crossing. "I'll have the Twins and Snotlout patrol the island, see if they can find any of Dargur's or Viggo's ships nearby. One of them has to be behind this."

Ombi had heard enough. The dragon took off once more, unaware of the shocked humans that watched him leave. Hiccup looked on worriedly, recognizing the Rathalos from a week ago, and hoped it didn't plan on revenge. 

Thorin sighed, sitting at the edge of the cliff and looking out to where Ombi had disappeared over the sea. He'd been waiting hours now for the dragon's return and by now he was starting to think it had abandoned him. He was just a human after all and the wyvern owed him nothing. If anything it had every right to leave him behind. The sound of wings beating air brought his gaze up and he cried out in fear as sharp talons snatched him from his sitting spot. Ombi had certainly come back but it seemed to the hunter that he was only after an easy meal.

Upon not getting eaten, however, Thorin's panic subsided. The dragon headed back over the ocean. "Don't scare me like that!" The hunter exclaimed, earning an amused chuff from the wyvern as it flew. He wasn't sure where he was being taken but apparently Thorin had no choice in the matter. Either way it would probably be better than being stuck on an island. When the hunter looked down at the water below, however, he held tightly onto Ombi's claws. "Don't drop me-" He said worriedly, dizziness taking over him from the height, and his reassurance was a tightening of the dragon's claws to keep him secured. He was certainly glad the Rathalos seemed to like him. It seems Hiccup really had been right about the dragons' intelligence.


	12. Finding a Monster

As the duo flew over Dragon's Edge, human gripped in the dragon's claws, the riders below quickly gathered to meet them. However, unexpectedly the Rathalos swooped past and dropped Thorin as it flew over the group before flying off over the trees and into the forest. Surprised to be dropped so suddenly, Thorin was left a heap on the ground. He sat up and rubbed his head as the riders rushed over to make sure he was okay.

"Are you alright? What was that all about?" Fishlegs asked, looking to where the Rathalos had flown off.

"No clue. We were just being friendly and everything. Guess it just got sick of me." Thorin said with a shrug and stood. Hiccup faced the hunter, worriedly looking him up and down, seeing the ragged clothes and lack of his usual defense.

"What all happened? We looked all over that island for you but didn't see a thing!" The rider exclaimed and Thorin frowned, mood soured by the news he brought.

"About that... I've got some seriously bad news." He said and Hiccup nodded, getting everyone gathered in their meeting room to discuss whatever the hunter had to say. Once ready and listening, even the twins pausing their usual shenanigans, Thorin started.

"To begin with I was kidnapped by those Dragon Hunters you've mentioned before. Their leader Viggo was on the ship and he asked me about something extremely concerning... An extremely powerful and destructive Elder Dragon. He had a very detailed drawing of it so there's no way he isn't in possession of this dragon." The riders gave a concerned murmur amongst themselves at the news and Astrid stood.

"How dangerous are we talking?" She asked for clarification.

Thorin sighed. "It can easily destroy unprepared fortresses back in the Old World. Not even our most powerful defensive weapon, a Dragonator, can do much against one." He explained and Astrid frowned, sitting back down. Thorin continued. "The dragon in question is known as Gogmazios. It's a massive winged beast that feeds on sulfuric compounds like gunpowder and secretes and oily byproduct through its skin." He finished and Hiccup stood.

"So, what are we supposed to do against this kind of dragon? You're the one with knowledge of it. Is there any way to scare it off or get it away from Viggo?" He asked and Thorin nodded.

"I doubt Viggo knows what it eats and if they keep trying to feed it meat it'll either starve or go on a rampage to escape." He cut off Hiccup before he could speak out. "You don't exactly like a dragon dying or suffering though so I'd suggest we go on the offensive. The oil it secretes is highly flammable so if we can get in close and light it up there's a good chance it can free itself."

"What about the dragon? Wouldn't the fire hurt it?" Fishlegs spoke up.

"Thankfully, no! Its scales are very head resistant and can actually heat up on their own if it gets agitated enough. Just not enough to set itself on fire normally."

"Any idea where it's being kept?" Hiccup asked and Thorin shook his head.

"No idea. But if we find and capture a hunter ship I'm sure someone onboard can have the answer beat out of them!" Thorin was with a grin, cracking his knuckles. He really wanted some revenge on those dragon hunters. Not only for his kidnapping but for touching his stuff.

Hiccup nodded and pulled out a map of the surrounding area, pointing to a part of the sea not too far. "We've seen a lot of hunter ships passing through here. We figure it's a supply route. We should be able to take a ship pretty easily here." He explained and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Alright. Let's get hunting some hunters!" Thorin said with a grin.

It didn't take long for the group to find a dragon hunter ship sailing through the sea. Fishlegs had stayed back to keep an eye on the Edge leaving everyone else to procure a ship. Thorin rode with Snotlout on Hookfang and had been suited up in some simple leather gear Hiccup had put together, must like what the riders themselves wore in fights, along with a simple shortsword. Definitely not what he was used to. The group swooped in for the attack, blasting the ship with fire to disorganize the hunters aboard and take out the mounted net guns. The riders landed and hopped off their dragons, taking down the dragon hunters with relative ease and taking over the ship. Thorin approached one of the captured dragon hunters, weapon unsheathed, who cowered away. 

"I suggest you tell me where Viggo's keeping his big new dragon or else you'll be missing a few limbs." He calmly threatened and the dragon hunter gulped.

"I-I don't know! He never told me anything! N-nobody has-!" He stammered out and Thorin's eyes narrowed as he pressed the knife to the man's throat. Hiccup stepped forward to stop this but was paused by Thorin holding up a hand to wait.

"I know you're lying. It's way too easy to tell. So you can either spit out the location or spit out your blood." He threatened and the man inhaled sharply with fear.

"Sh-Shadowtooth Island-" He caved, eyes wide with terror. Thorin gave a tight grin.

"See? Was that so hard?" He said, sheathing the sword and going over to the, admittedly wary, riders. "Know of a Shadowtooth Island?" He asked and Hiccup nodded, mounting Toothless. 

"Alright. Let's get back to the Edge for Fishlegs. We'll need every rider we can get for this attack." He said and took off, followed closely by the others, leaving the smoldering ship behind. 

Snotlout was tense, glancing at Thorin every few seconds. "Soooo... How did you know he was lying?" He finally asked and Thorin laughed.

"Oh, I didn't. But he didn't know that!" He said with a grin which Snotlout nervously returned.

"You wouldn't have really killed that guy though... Right?" He asked and Thorin paused. After a moment he shook his head.

"I don't kill the innocent. He's just a guy following some bad orders. I can't fault him for that." He said and Snotlout gave a breath of relief. 

"So, about this plan. It's just an in and out mission, right? Light it up and run?" The rider asked and Thorin nodded.

"For you guys, yes. I have some things I plan on taking care of though. My stuff was stolen and I plan on getting it back one way or another." He explained and Snotlout frowned.

"So you're just going in alone with no good weapon or armor? That's suicide!" He exclaimed and Thorin shrugged.

"I doubt I'll end up dead from it. I've survived a lot of near-death experiences. Unless I've used up all my luck I should be able to bust in and bust out in no time!" He said with a confident grin. Snotlout, however, was unconvinced.

"I'm not just letting you run in and have all the fun! I'm coming with! You'll need the support." The rider insisted and after a moment Thorin nodded with a chuckle.

"Yeah, alright. I could use the help. Thanks. Snotlout." He said and Snotlout grinned widely, excited for the attack to come.


	13. Prepping for War

The riders were all gathered in the meeting hut discussing their plan of attack, Thorin with them and helping out with any information on the Gogmazios or battle strategies since he'd been on plenty of planned attacks. Though, to be fair, those sieges had been against monsters and he hadn't been to war against any people before. It had been decided that the small group of just the riders wouldn't be able to free the Elder Dragon all on their own so Hiccup was set to leave for Berk to ask his father for aid. With or without his father's help, however, the Riders were set to attack in two weeks. The night when the moon would be absent from the sky and they could use the darkness to their advantage. The group broke apart to begin their preparations. Hiccup headed off to Berk with Toothless while the rest of the riders worked on weapons, armor, and strategies. Thorin, however, had a mission of his own. He'd been seeing more and more of the animals, small and large, from his home and knew that if he could find a small flying wyvern called a Wingdrake he'd be able to get a message home to let his team know what had happened to him and what was going on in this place.

He walked along the cliffs of the island, looking out over the edges to keep an eye out for any Wingdrakes. Overhead flew a group of Blissbill, the small pink birds from the New World a reminder of the strange migration happening to this place. It was odd seeing hints of home in this strange new land and he hoped everything was alright back home. As he walked, Thorin picked some berries on the bushes lining the trees to help catch a Wingdrake. Finally he heard it. The distinct call of a Mernos, a breed of smart and trainable Wingdrake used by the guild as transportation. As he passed the tree line and overlooked a clearing he saw a group of five of these Mernos flying around what looked to be a dragon nest. The owner of said nest, a Deadly Nadder, was growling and swiping at the nuisances squawking and flitting above. 

Thorin approached cautiously and let out a whistle, holding up the handful of berries. The Mernos, likely hungry from their long trip, excitedly swooped over and Thorin led them away from the grateful Nadder. The hunter chuckled and tossed a few berries to the wyverns which landed and snapped them up. One of them he rubbed its beak and it gave a content trill as he fed it more berries. "Think you can help me out little guy?" he asked, getting to one knee as he fed the hungry group. He doubted it understood his words but it could certainly understand his tone. Behind the hunter there was a rustling in the bushes and all but that Mernos flew off in fear. Thorin looked behind him and was surprised to see Astrid standing there with an amused grin.

"Making friends, eh? Some creatures from back home?" She asked as she approached and Thorin nodded with a smile. "Yeah. They're called Mernos. Smart little buggers are trained by the guild for transportation and to send messages so I figured..."

"You'd try and train one to send a message to your friends?" Astrid finished and Thorin nodded.

"Yeah... No clue how they get trained though. I'm pretty sure it's got to do with tracking scents." Thorin explained and Astrid nodded, humming in thought.

"So if we have something that smells like your home we should be able to send it off there? At least, that's the idea?" Astrid asked and Thorin nodded again, standing. The Mernos hopped over and looked up at the two curiously.

"As long as it can figure out that going to the smell means food it should be easy enough! Problem is I don't have anything left from the guild... Viggo took my armor and weapons and that's about all I had." He said with a sigh.

Astrid was silent for a few moments as she thought this over and mulled over everything he had arrived with. Finally she snapped her fingers and gave a smile. "I've got it! We never gave you back one of your little devices from when you first got here. Hiccup wanted to figure out how to recreate it before he gave it back." She explained and headed back to the Edge followed by Thorin and the Wingdrake. 

"What? Is that where my slinger went? I thought I just lost it!" Thorin laughed and Astrid chuckled. 

"Is that what it's called? Yeah, it's got him fascinated wondering what else you've got back with your guild." She said with an endearing smile as she talked about Hiccup. Thorin grinned as he noticed and nodded. 

"I don't know much about the mechanics of how all the technology back at the guild works but I'd love to tell him about it some time before I leave!"

Astrid laughed and nodded. "I'm sure he'd love that!"

When they got back to the Edge things had picked up. The Twins were wreaking havoc with small casings filled with what looked like Hideous Zippleback gas that exploded out everywhere when it was thrown at a surface. The twins were laughing like mad as they chased around Snotlout bombarding him with the gas before their Zippleback lit the clouds into bursts of flames. Astrid sighed with arms crossed.

"No dull times with those two around here... Ruffnut! Tuffnut! Save some gas for the attack!" She called out and the two laughed and high-fived but relented in their assault of Snotlout who gave an indignant glare at his assailants.

Thorin smiled and looked over the Edge. Personalized huts attached by bridges, the waves washing into the gulf and hitting the shore, the dragon hangar at the edge of everything where the hunter had been living during his time here, no longer fearing the dragons that lived around them. While this place may not be home to him it had certainly be an experience he would never regret. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Astrid's call.

"C'mon slowpoke! We've got a dragon to train!" She said, the Wingdrake beside her as she held up the Slinger grabbed from Hiccup's house. The hunter smiled and quickly headed over, excited for the prospect to finally talk to home again. Of course, saying hi wasn't his only goal if he could get a message out to his friends.


End file.
